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Sunday, April 27, 2014

I am on a mission to build up my inventory of Birthday cards... March always wipes me out with about 12 - 15 birthdays. So when 613 Ave C offered an Anything Goes challenge pairing up with Bugaboo as a sponsor - "Candy Jar" became a perfect choice.

TECHNIQUE

[Note: specific information on supplies and sources will be found below under “Supplies”.]

Started with an A2, left fold cut using CS with dual colors - [peach & white] and ran it thru an E-folder for the harlequin design. All corners were rounded.

Used sandpaper to lightly sand the raised embossing revealing the white core of the paper.

Focal digi image printed twice - one was used as the base & the other was colored with Copics, fussy cut, Sculpted and mounted on foam tape for elevation. The digi banner was handled in the same manner

as above & then I doodled ties on each end to visually "attach" it to the background..

Added elements include a punched tag with a sentiment tucked under the candy, a ribbon tied around the neck of the jar & three Candi colored with matching Copics mounted on foam tape down the lower right for balance.

Inside features a punched birthday sentiment and a tag for my message.

The papers are from Basic Grey's "Persimmon" & I used the background DP to paper piece her dress. Copics were used for her skin, hair, shoes and to shade her dress. "Weathered Wood" Distress Ink was used on the DP edges. A Scalloped edge punch was used on the focal panel & three tiny SU brads were added to the mat.

A tag was created using the SU punch for tag tops - a ribbon from stash was added. With the focal image panel and mat elevated on foam tape, I made a pocket for the tag.

The inside repeats the sentiment on leftover DP.

TOP TIP #1: When using digis - here is a tip for using just a small piece of leftover DP - instead of having to put a whole sheet of paper thru a printer:

Print out the image on the Card Stock [CS] you plan to use on your project.

Make a copy [on plain copy paper] of the CS image and leave the CS exactly where it is in your printer!

Using the newly printed copy, cut out a piece of your desired DP about 1/2 inch all around larger than the image and tape it down on the copy paper over top of the subject matter. [The extra margin is because the paper never runs thru the paper in the EXACT position it did the first time.] Be sure to tape down the edge that will be running thru the printer first. The other edges need not even be taped.

Put the copy [with the taped DP] back in the printer feeder in the same direction it was the first time and copy a 2nd time. Now you have a copy on your DP and you can fussy cut it and glue down to your image [see the dress on my Teacher]

I shade the edges and lines of the dress with Copics to "round" the edges and give it dimension.

TOP TIP #2: Sometime an image shows too much skin for a particular recipient [say what??!!] It is easy to use a Micron pen and add sleeves or pants or a blouse collar and then either color in or do paper piecing to make clothes for your image. As an example, when my daughter graduated from the Police Academy, I found an image of a female cop for her Graduation card. Problem was the image showed way more cleavage than my daughter would have liked... I merely put a collar, a seam line and buttons down the front and colored in her new "shirt".

I have to tell you a secret!Aud Sentiments has developed a new Freebie for our followers - as our Birthday gift for you! Go over and check out Marie-Clare's creative surprise that she will be providing as a Freebie for our DT & Guests alike! This will become a regular feature for the followers.While you are there, check out the very creative inspiration of the Designers and then get your version in the mix for a chance at one of TWO prizes from Lacy Sunshine and Sassy Studio. The deadline is Tuesday, May 6 for up to 5 entries.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

I am grinning thing of all the Easter Egg Hunts happening today! These two cards are for two of the Grandkids. I needed quick and easy to get them all done in time... so lots of paper, minimal coloring and easy to fussy cut! Made them a little more fun with the fold.

TECHNIQUE

[Note: specific information on supplies and sources will be found below under “Supplies”.]

This is an A2 size with the fold on the left & the front panel folded back to meet it. A panel is then prepared & attached as shown below.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

This is my DT card for the new Aud Sentiments Challenge theme - a "Sentiment for a Friend."
I saw these two little chums and I could NOT resist! I recently spent a lot of time with a good friend who is always HOT and I am always freezing my tush off! She will wear a light weight shift & aim a fan in her direction, and I will be wrapped up in 3 layers with socks, a scarf around my neck and sometimes I add a wool cap! We spent 2 months of our cold weather together - Just Chillin'!

Before I describe the card's details, I wanted to mention one of my favorite sites and encourage you to check it out! I have for years been going to Gingerwood, daily and without fail! This site is primarily a Bulletin Board for stampers - but it has other "rooms". There is a Scrapbooking Board, a Crafty Cricket Board, a room of Stamping Techniques & Tutorials done by members, etc. If you need a product review, are looking for the answer to a crafting issue or just want to chat with others interested in the paper arts, consider checking it out. The community of stampers are friendly, supportive and have collectively hundreds of years of experience. The owner of the board recently asked me to "Moderate" the boards and I decided it was time to share this home away from home with all of you! You will need to register and get a password - [designed to keep the spammers out] - but once in, leave me a message and I will personally welcome you to our world! I would love to see you there! Click on GINGERWOOD. [gingerstamp.com]

TECHNIQUE

[Note: specific information on supplies and sources will be found below under “Supplies”.]

A2 size dark purple CS with top fold and rounded corners

DP that reminded me of a cold day, cut and corners rounded.

Images printed out three time, colored with Copics, fussy cut, sculpted and layered for depth.

Sentiment corners rounded, oblong punch used on the ends to make a "slider" for the ribbon.

Ribbon run thru the sentiment slider & ends are taped around the DP. Bow is glued in place. Foam tape used behind sentiment and the images for depth.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

For Earth Day - 4/22/14613 Ave. C challenges us to Reuse and Recycle. I started with this image from Jellypark and everything I used in designing the card fit the theme of reuse &/or recycle! The papers, string & ribbon were all from my desk scrap pile, the sentiment stamp was actually rescued from a friend's pile of supplies being given away. The corner brads were from my stash and the only thing that might be counted as new.
This should be a fun and easy challenge for all the paper artists! You can go HERE to see this challenge and the many creative takes on this theme by the Designers! I hope you will join in on the fun - the sponsor this go around is Jellypark and the deadline is Saturday, April 19.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

I have such fun memories of Easter Egg hunts from my childhood! My parents would create a clue driven egg hunt that gave each of the three of us a separate path to find each egg and ultimately the basket. My father wrote very difficult clues in verse. The older we got, the more difficult they became. This new image from Mo Manning made all those memories come flooding back! Wish the grandkids lived close enough for me to pass on that tradition for them.TECHNIQUE[Note: specific information on supplies and sources will be found below under “Supplies”.]

Base card is 5 x 5" top fold

Background and the elevated panel to the left of the focal panel are covered with DP from Basic Grey's "Sweet Threads". These papers have been distressed with a tool and then inked with "Tumbled Glass".

Ric-Rack - green with pink, yellow & white polka dots has been secured around the small oblong element which is matted & elevated on foam tape.

The focal image has been colored with Copics and I drew designs on each of the eggs with black Micron pen. This panel is also elevated on foam tape.

"Candi" was colored with Copics used in the image and adhered to give the corner more weight. The watch was heat embossed with gold (wish now I had done that in silver) and the watch face and his teeth were covered with Diamond Glaze for texture.

Sentiment is a rubber stamped image that was cut with a small fishtail and curved in a wavy pattern then given support and height with foam tape.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Yep! Spring has Sprung . I can tell - ALLERGIES have hit hard! Arrrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh!At the same time, it is so gorgeous here now - so green and fresh and I LOVE the physical beauty of this countryside right now.

And so, in honor of Spring, I have designed this card for Aud Sentiments' current challenge - to use an "Easter or Spring Sentiment." The sponsor is

A Day for Daisies and they are providing the prize as well as the images for the Design Team. You have till April 8 to get your take on the theme into the challenge - in fact, you can submit up to 5 projects! Do go check out the sample projects of the Design Team at Aud Sentiments - there are some very creative women using the awesome ADFD images!.TECHNIQUE[Note: specific information on supplies and sources will be found below under “Supplies”.]

I can't remember what this fold is called?? If you know, leave me a comment with the name? Essentially it is a smaller card adhered inside the larger with the flap coming out to the outside. Easier to see in the pictures than to explain. Here are the steps:

A2 size card cut from the Buttercup Yellow CS with a left fold & rounded corners. The right edge of the top layer was cut shorter than the back of the card by about 1/2 inch. Top of card was embossed with a branch and leaves E-folder.

The 2nd card was smaller with a right hand fold and also rounded corners. DP and a message panel were added to the inside of this smaller card.

Flowers (with Easter Egg petals) are from Beyond the Fringe. They were colored with Copics, fussy cut and glued to the message panel & to the "front" of the larger card.

The focal image panel on the front of the smaller card consists of the punched branch and leaves for the Fairy to sit on, the rubber stamped sentiment and three copies of the fairy. She has been colored with Copics, fussy cut, sculpted and layered with foam tape. Liquid Pearls have been used as buttons on her sleeves and decor on her wings.

Top Tip: When you have an image like this one with lots of tiny or fine line parts that would be hard to fussy cut - print or stamp the image on your background as well as the many layers you want to cut out. The original layer will have all the wild hairs, feelers, all the detail that you want to keep but not the pain of trying to cut. [see her feelers, the string and her hair in front]